


To Look and to Touch

by smudgay



Category: Mass Effect, Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-27
Updated: 2017-07-02
Packaged: 2018-10-11 19:39:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 6,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10472631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smudgay/pseuds/smudgay
Summary: Vetra doesn't think that Sara likes her, how could she? But Sara has always been one to make her affections clear and suddenly even Vetra can't deny it. Maybe there's someone out there who will take care of her. (some Vetra Romance Spoilers, No Story Spoilers) VetRyder romance from Vetra's perspective basically





	1. One of a Kind

Sara Ryder had always been one to look and to touch; to feel and experience. It’s her mother’s habits and her father’s mind ingrained in her. With Sara, everything is open. It is loud and honest. Her body tells truths are her eyes shine with emotion.

In that way, it should have been a surprise to no one that when Sara like something she made it known. When Sara wasn’t using words, she was using her gaze. And when it wasn’t her look, it was a gentle touch. To everyone, it was obvious. It should have been. It was so _like_ Sara to do that; to look and feel.

And it was obvious to everyone _but_ Vetra Nyx. For the turian, it was new.

No one had ever quite been like Sara Ryder before.

* * *

 

The first time _ **it**_   happens, Vetra spends three hours just thinking about it before she settles on the fact that it means nothing.

_“Ryder’s just being nice.”_

_“She’s like this to everyone.”_

_“She called Suvi cute; which she is—Suvi. Suvi is cute.”_

Yet she thinks back to the moment, Sara leaning against the armory wall, smile on her face. “You’re intense,” she says with a warm smile. Her eyes light up with something Vetra can’t place. “I like intense.” Then she’s smirking and suddenly Vetra wants nothing more than to dismiss whatever is happening as platonic exchange.

“It’s nice to know I’m appreciated.” She shifts, watching as Sara raises a brow at her; amused.

It sounds like Ryder’s flirting, Vetra knows what those sounds like, but it isn’t _right._ It’s unlikely.

Vetra throws herself into work, she hopes to forget about it, but she never really does. **She can’t.** She starts noticing things.


	2. Her Humanity

Every time she sees Sara she can’t help but to notice things. Firstly, how soft her skin is. It’s nothing like asari skin, and a far-cry from turian carapace. It’s soft, and reacts to touch like water. Where asari skin is tough and thick; human skin is alarmingly soft and thin. Oddly, Vetra likes it. She reaches out to press her hand into Sara’s shoulder to draw her attention but loves the way her hand sinks into her. Where turian skin is hard and more like a shell, human skin doesn’t offer any real protect. Vetra sees it the day a bullet grazes Sara’s skin and the turian hisses in anger, and is by the pathfinder’s side after making quick work of the kett responsible. It worries her—Ryder’s skin. But at the same time, _it’s beautiful._  

Then it’s her eyes; big and human. They’re honest and bright, they react to everything Sara does and says. They show strength, they show warmth. Vetra has never looked forward to seeing something more than the way Sara looks when she smiles. 

After a while, it gets weird to stare at Sara so much. Peebee even comments on it, snickering and nudging Vetra like she knows something the turian doesn’t. Vetra stops looking, she catches herself every time.

Sara isn’t so kind. After all, when Sara likes something, she makes it known. Sara gazes at Vetra with warmth, she seeks her out when there is no real reason to. They talk about things that have nothing to do with their business and Vetra treasures every second. Sara is kind, she _cares_ , she tells Vetra that she is here for her and that she’ll never leave and Vetra believes it because Sara has never lied to her. Sara’s eyes are honest, and they tell Vetra that she means every word.

“I’m here,” Sara looks up (looks up because she’s ‘so tiny’ as Sid always puts it) at Vetra, smiling. “I’ll always be here. Whatever you need, Vetra.”

Vetra’s mandibles fare out, she purrs looking down at the ground so it’s anywhere but at Sara’s beautiful face with her bright honest eyes. Vetra doesn’t want to say the wrong things. Sara is kind to everyone, Vetra doesn’t think she’s special.

Besides, a human and a turian? **Unheard of.**

Sara leaves Vetra to her work but the turian thinks of her the entire time.


	3. Her Charm

It’s late when Vetra calls Sid, or as late as it can be when there’s no real sun cycle. Sid answers shockingly quick but before Vetra can ask why Sid pipes in.

“ _Soooo,_ I met Ryder.”

Vetra can’t see Sid yet, the connection lagging behind the sound a bit, but she _knows_ that her little sister is leaning forward—eyes as wide as they can go and her mandibles shaking in excitement.

“She finally stopped by my part of the Nexus,” Sid continues, “ _Just_ to see me!”

Vetra laughs, “I didn’t know you were such a fan.”

“Well, duh.” It’s Sid’s turn to laugh as her face finally pops up on the monitor. “You take about her  _so_   much that I can’t help it. You make her sound so amazing and she’s just so…”

“Amazing?” Vetra uncrosses her arms.

“Yeah,” Sid lets out a dreamy sigh. “She was real nice to be and she agreed to help with a thing and-“ Sid pauses for effect, “-she mentioned you.”

“Did she now?” Vetra doesn’t think much of it, Sid likes to tease her about a non-existent ‘crush’ (as Sid puts it). But she humours her sister anyway.

Sid is a little too eager to explain all that Sara said. About how she enjoys how skilled Vetra is, or how smart and charismatic. How she admires her loyalty and the way she handles guns. Or the way she wishes there was more she could do for Vetra. Sid says that Sara loves how tall Vetra is too, which makes Sid squeal a little bit. Sid is happy someone likes her sister just as much as she does, and she goes on more to explain how Sara babbled about roses and turian-friendly chocolate. Vetra’s mandibles flare at that, she laughs nervously and looks at the ground. Sid asks if they’re going on a date any time soon, and if she has to tell Sara that she’ll ‘dis-her-members’ if she hurts Vetra.

“Ryder doesn’t think of me like that, Sid.”

“Really?”

Vetra snaps around, Sid waves happily from the monitor. Sara smirks from her spot leaning against the door, watching Vetra with the same warmth that she always does.

“Ryder.” Vetra tries to straighten up, but the feeling of Sid’s amusement burning into her back makes it hard. “It’s rude to eavesdrop.”

“And it’s rude to assume that I don’t like you, Vetra.” Sara moves closes.

Sid squeals again, asking if she can be the maid-of-honour at their wedding. Vetra groans and ends their call before her sister says something even _more_ embarrassing.

Vetra crosses her arms again, “You know Sid. She likes to tease.”

Sara bites her lip—soft and red and _human_ , Vetra thinks. She wants to touch them, press her own mouth to them. But it’s unlikely. Sara is better suited for someone like Peebee, who _also_ has soft lips. “Okay,” Sara says, there’s something deep and hungry in her voice, “But she’s not wrong.” With that, Sara winks and leaves again. Vetra has seen Sara flirt with other people. It’s the same thing. It doesn’t mean anything. Not with her. Not for them.


	4. Her Kindness

Vetra has never doubted Sara’s kindness. Their friendship was built off of their mutual love for their family. They’d spend hours talking about their siblings. When Vetra visits Sid, she takes Sara, and they talk on the Nexus for what is never enough time. Vetra knows that Sara visits Sid without her, when she calls her little sister she has her own stories of the pathfinder to share. Some days, all they do is talk about Sara. Mostly because Sid insists that they do, but Vetra doesn’t mind.

So, when Sid calls for help, Vetra asks Sara without a second thought. She knows the pathfinder _can_ help, and she knows that she will. Vetra doesn’t like asking for help, she never does it. But she feels oddly comfortable about Sara, who she knows means all those comments about helping her.

And then it just seems wrong to do something like this without Sara beside her, tearing kett apart together.

When their work is done, it’s Vetra who asks for Sara’s company, and they talk about nothing really important. Vetra doesn’t feel like talking after it all so Sara talks about these wild stories about her first prothean dig site and Vetra is sure they’re mostly fake in some way but she laughs and relaxes with them.

At the end, Sara says that she’ll always be there for Vetra, just as she’s said it before—but this time is a little different. There’s no smirk, or wink. It’s not followed by a flirtatious quip. It’s clear and honest like always but it’s _different_. Sara says she cares for Sid too, because she cares for Vetra and the turian doesn’t know what to say. No one has ever cared about them, about her. About taking care of her. About making sure that she’s comfortable or about telling her nonsensical stories or about flirting even when she never really flirts back. Vetra can’t say anything, nothing feels right in the moment.

But it’s okay. Sara says it’s okay. No one has ever really cared about making it okay, about saying that it was. Sara leaves Vetra, letting her be alone when she wants it and telling her that she doesn’t need to say anything—do anything.

The tempest is nothing like anywhere Vetra has worked. Sara is unlike anyone she’s ever met.

The crew is family and in the hum of the armoury she lets out a small sob. She’s alone, but she knows that for once she isn’t really and never will be again. It’s not just her and Sid. It’s her and Sara and Peebee and Cora and Jaal and the list goes on—for the first time in Vetra’s life— _the list goes on._


	5. Her Friendship

Sid and Vetra talk for hours. Precious as her sister is, and always will be, she lets her grow. She realizes she can now. There’s a crew of people who care and Vetra doesn’t deny it anymore. She’s never thought that anyone could, and a part of her will always doubt it, but she’s _trying_. Sid knows that. She hugs Vetra hard and long and she doesn’t tease her about Sara anymore. Sid’s learned something too; Vetra can make her own choices.

Vetra doesn’t doubt Sara’s friendship either, it’s the other stuff that makes her wonder. Sara is calmer with her now, less winking and smirking and more smiling and laughing. She still says odd things, comments about climbing Vetra to Peebee’s enjoyment or remarks about Vetra’s dreamy voice to Suvi’s agreement. To all of those, Vetra can only laugh along, trying her best to say something back. It’s a joke, probably. Sara still says those things about other people too. But when everyone is laughing and agreeing, Vetra and Sara’s eyes meet and something is shared between them.

For a moment, before Vetra can tell herself that she’s wrong, it feels like there’s **something more** between them.


	6. Her Eyes pt. 1

Vetra is doing business on Kadara, which is nothing new. She tells Sara to keep away, the pathfinder shouldn’t look like she _knows_ what’s happening. She wants to protect Sara in every way she can and the thought is so natural to Vetra that she doesn’t think about it.

But it’s when she’s out in the badlands that something hits her. She’s alone, just finishing up from meeting a contact when she stretches her neck and looks up—a brightly coloured sky above her. The colours swirl beautifully, and Vetra is entranced for a moment. It’s almost like she’s looking at a bigger more-socially-acceptable-to-stare-at version of Sara’s eyes. Honest and open sky.

“Isn’t it beautiful, Ryder?” Vetra looks away from the sky and to her side—there’s no one there but for a second she swore that Sara was. In that moment, she knew she had to share this with the pathfinder, and the thought is so natural to Vetra that she doesn’t think about it.


	7. Her Eyes Pt. 2

“Seriously? Rock climbing?” Sara raises her brow and Vetra laughs. Sara’s small human hands are tightly gripping the rocks leading up to the beautiful view of the expanse of the sky. A part of Vetra worries that maybe Sara will hate her for this but it’s immediately beat out by the part of Vetra that _knows_ Sara. The pathfinder will love the feeling just as much as she did. Vetra knows this, that’s why she asked Sara along.

“The sight is worth it, Ryder.” Vetra laughs as Sara pretends likes she’s really struggling to get good footing. Humans are pretty lazy creatures, as Vetra learned quickly. Sara, at least, was always honest about it. Vetra knew the pathfinder could never resist a challenge, so she proposed a race.  “No jump-jets,” she specified.

Sara smirks at that, “And my prize?”

“What do you want?” Vetra is prepared to give Sara anything she asks for, though her body isn’t as honest as Sara’s. Vetra actions have always spoken louder, she can only hope that Sara sees that.

“What’s better…” Sara starts, trying to get a lead on their little race to the top, “…than the classic? The hero gets the magic sword, the enemy is defeated, the hero wins and gets the girl.”

Vetra laughs as she mostly does whenever Sara says something like that. She can never tell if it’s honest or a joke, she blames Sara’s temperament for that rather than her own jaded insecurity. “I guess it’s a good thing I'm winning. I don’t have a magic sword.” She doesn’t say anything about not giving Sara the girl— _her_. Vetra can’t say it, can’t show it. Fear holds her but she hopes that her actions will speak louder. That Sara will see what she means.

Vetra turns her attention back to climbing, if she gets there first maybe she can avoid having to deal with another one of Sara’s jokes. As much as a part of Vetra screams to give Sara whatever her flirts want, another part screams just as loud. It’s unlikely, she tells herself. She’s told herself that from the start. Never mind that Sara is human and Vetra isn’t really clear on how it’ll work. It’s more than that. Sara is amazing; honest and kind. What would she want out of an outlaw and a mercenary?

As Vetra debates this to herself, wondering if maybe all of this was a bad idea in the first place as tense silence settles between them, Ryder laughs and a blur of blue shoots up from under Vetra. Jump-jets enabled, Ryder easily hops to the top beating Vetra by a few seconds.

The pathfinder is out of breath, lying on the floor with a wide smile and amusement still caught in her throat.

“You look like you’re having fun,” Vetra says as she pulls herself up. Ryder doesn’t respond, but she smiles wider.

“I win.” Sara laughs; loud and wholesome.

“You _are_ having fun.” Vetra can tell, and the thought relaxes her instantly. She’d wanted this to go well, and it seemed like it was. What was she worried about again? That Sara wouldn’t like this? She immediately realizes how stupid she was for thinking that. Of course Sara would like this, Vetra had thought of her the whole time.

“You’re right,” Sara says, not bothering to tear her eyes away from the sky to look at the turian, “It’s beautiful.”

Vetra carefully lays beside Sara, looking up at the same sky with her. She’d wanted this the moment she saw the sky; the moment she saw Sara’s eyes. Her mind can’t help but to remember all the little things Sara has said and done. The looks or the touches or the warmth in Sara’s eyes that’s always been there.

Vetra can feel her hand brush against Sara’s. She wants to hold it. Feel Sara’s soft skin in her hands, her mouth against the pathfinder’s. Now, Vetra can’t deny it anymore. How she feels, how she’s always felt. She doesn’t know how to say it exactly right, all that smooth charm suddenly failing her when she needs it most. There's no right way to say this. Nothing she can give Sara in exchange but herself. It's a deal Vetra doesn't know how to make because it feels like so much more than that. It  _is_ so much more than that.

“Is this real?” She settles on; honest and open like Sara.

“The sky?” Sara asks, there’s no hint of mockery in her voice, but Vetra feels it sting all the same.

“No. This. _Us._ ” Vetra sighs, “This thing I feel. This thing between us. I-I can’t help but to think that there’s something more here, that you want to be more than friends and I-you can say ‘no’.” Vetra would have been happy just keeping Sara’s eyes in her life; her humanity, charm, kindness and friendship. “I won’t be mad. I just-I just wanna know.”

Sara takes a while to say anything and the silence kills Vetra.

“No.” Sara turns, she’s looking at Vetra now and though the turian doesn’t turn to look she knows. “No.” She repeated, slipping her hand into Vetra’s. “It’s real. What I feel is real.”

“Oh.” Vetra’s mandibles twitch, she’s not sure she can manage looking at Sara now so she talks to the sky. “I just couldn’t be sure. It seems so unlikely. You and I and—”

Vetra is cut-off, Sara’s lips against her mouth and it’s even better than all those fantasies Vetra would never admit to having. When Sara pulls back, Vetra misses it instantly. Knowing she’ll never get enough of it.

“How’s that for proving it?”

“I think I’m convinced.” Vetra brings her hand to the back of Sara’s head and pulls her back into a kiss. They stay like that for a while, what doesn’t seem like enough time, what would never be enough time. When the sky darkens and they know they have to get back to the tempest soon and back to their lives, Sara suddenly smirks.

“You didn’t know? All this time I’ve been flirting with you and you didn’t know?”

Vetra hummed, “I told you, Ryder. It’s unlikely.”

“Anyone would fall in love with you, Vetra.” Sara presses a soft kiss to Vetra’s cheek which vibrates in happiness. The turian turns to the look at the pathfinder—her girlfriend now—and everything feels right.

They have lives to get back to, a world to save and a big evil to defeat. Not all that they do is pretty, but _this_ is beautiful. Sara is beautiful. And Vetra knows that even when they go back into the world that they come from, it’ll be different now. For a while, she regretted the initiative. Now? She the thought had never crossed her mind.

It’ll be better and everything will be worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and this is the last update for a while until i finish the game (almost there!) I want to be sure I capture all of the romance right :')


	8. Her Honesty

_"Sooooo."_ Peebee has that tone to her voice, that high-pitched inquisatory tone that always reminded Vetra so much of Sid. Unsurprisingly, Sid and Peebee did get along. And in an even less surprising way, they were both bad influences on each other. "Ryder?"

Vetra groans, but her mandibles flare out in happiness and pride. She'd just come back from a call with Sid telling her about it. Her ears were still ringing from the squealing she had to endure. But it was worth it, all of this was. "Yes," she responded, unable to meet Peebee's eyes. "Ryder."

"I guess she pathfound a way to your heart, huh?" Peebee grins wide and Vetra laughs, looking at her now.

"Sid beat you to that joke already." Vetra shook her head. "Why is this so amusing to you?"

"Oh, shoot." Peebee puts a hand on her hip, shifting her weight. Her grin remains, still as wide and mischievous as ever. "Hey, It's not amusing. Anyone could see it coming. But I feel like all my teasing needs a real payoff."

Vetra narrows her already small eyes and crosses her arms, "Could see it coming?" She couldn't. She didn't.

"Yeah," Peebee shifts again, "wait." Before dashing off to pull Cora and Jaal out of their parts of the Tempest and into their area by the research terminal. "Tell Vetra how we were all taking bets on their relationship."

"I wasn't betting," Cora immediately adds.

"I put in three Angaran eye pieces that Ryder and Vetra would become a couple." Jaal laughs, Vetra can tell he's happy to know that he won't be losing them.

"It wasn't much of bet," Cora clarifies as Peebee runs off again, "no one bet against it."

"Ah, yes, but Liam bet Lexi that he would never take off his shirt again if Ryder and Vetra didn't became intimate before we completed our current mission. Lexi thought they'd wait until work was out of the way, and Liam did not." Jaal looks over at Vetra and shoots her a smile.

Cora laughed, remembering the moment. "Lexi clearly overestimated their 'professionalism'."

Vetra could only stand there and take it. "I had no idea that…when did you all…?"

"When Ryder kept taking you on all the missions and we were stuck here. We get to talk a lot then." Liam came in now, explaing; Drack and Gil in tow all lead by Peebee.

"I'm surprised you didn't know, kid. For all the smart on your shoulders." Drack grumbles, coming up to Vetra to pat her on the shoulder, where her intelligence is supposed to be but clearly wasn't in this case.

"Sara is honest, you know," Gil pipes in, "She's always made it clear how much she adores you."

Peebee grins even wider. She doesn't say anything, all that she wants to say is out there.

Vetra mandibles flare, shaking in embarasment. "The next time we're on Kadara I might just forget to tell the traders not to kill you all."


	9. Her Love

Vetra does her research. She feels like an idiot for not noticing Sara's feelings sooner, or her own. She feels useless when the weight of the world is on Sara's shoulders so this time she does her research. She asks Liam, who grins like a mad man and plays some vids for her.

Romance, he calls them. Vids about people setting up flowers and candles and homemade steak dinners with wine. Vetra can tell Liam likes them, he says there's nothing better than planning something out for your lover. Vetra feels a little intimidated by him, she's never done anything romantic like that before. She doesn't ask him for help again, but thanks him for it then.

It gives her an idea, at least.

Sara is worth it, worth everything. She deserves the romance and Vetra wants to give it to her. She wants to do this for her--the flowers and candles and wine and steak.

Steak, as Vetra finds out, is just cow. So she gets something labeled cow and hopes it's right. She tried asking Suvi about it but the scientist immediately sensed what—or rather who—the steak was for and dissolved into a fit of 'awwww'ing that Vetra couldn't deal with for more than a couple of minutes.

Human wine is harder to find, those who brought some from the milky way are reluctant to give it up. After days of trading, Peebee offhandedly mentions that asari wine and human wine are painfully similar. Vetra doesn't let her get away with telling her about that so late.

Asari, unlike humans, are a bit more willing to let go of their wine.

The flowers and the candles come next. She finds some flower on Aya that isn't toxic and asks Jaal to get some for her. Candles are rudimentary, no one wants to sell such an archaic piece of invention. There's little use for a candle when there's omnitools and flashlights. So Vetra makes them by hand using materials that she finds.

She sets up Sara's room when she's out talking to the crew. Vetra asks them for one favour; to occupy Sara until she finishes. They tease her but it's worth it, Sara is worth it. She can hear them keeping Sara busy, Peebee and Liam getting into who-knows-what as Lexi tries to keep calm about it.

Vetra isn't sure how long to cook the steak for, she hears raw meat is bad for humans so she makes sure all of it is cooked. She can't risk Sara getting sick. In the vids steak looks at little more brown, but Tyrian food is always a bit black in colour so when the steak comes out charred Vetra doesn't think she cooked it wrong.

Everything is set up; flower on the table, candles bruning, steak and wine ready for Sara. Vetra saunters out of the room just in time, Lexi boring the whole crew with something about amino acids. Vetra taps Sara on the shoulder and they slip away as Lexi drones on.

She tells Sara to close her eyes, and she does. At first Vetra thinks about covering them but she knows Sara will be honest about it this time.

She leads her to her room, sits her down, adjusts the flowers and the candles.

"Alright, you can open your eyes."

Sara takes in the sight slowly. "Wow," she smiles before her eyes fall on to the steak, brows furrowed in confusion. Vetra's heart immediately sinks.

"What is this?" Sara asks.

"Steak," Vetra clarifies, her voice taking a desperate tone "Cow. Human cow, I think. The packet just said cow."

"Looks delicious!" Sara tenses, Vetra knows a lie when she sees one. She can't tell if it's because Sara doesn't like steak or if the flowers are something she's allergic to but either way Vetra did something wrong.

"I just uh," Sara rubs the back of her neck, "want to savour this sight a bit. Ooh, is this wine? Maybe I'll start on the wine."

"You don't need to be nice about it," Vetra voices wavers, if she could cry her eyes might have watered then. "I know a probably cooked it wrong." Did something wrong. She always did. And this was it, this was the one thing she wanted nothing to go wrong for. For once in her life, just this one little thing. Vetra runs to the seat across from Sara and slumps in it.

"I just wanted to do this for you. You mean so much to me and to everyone and you care, about me and Sid and the whole galaxy. And I wanted to do this. I don't want to ruin anything, Sara. I love you." Vetra looks at the floor until Sara's straddling her in the chair, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"You didn't ruin anything. I'm so happy that you just did this for me." Sara says with a warm smile, Vetra rests her head on her girlfriend's shoulder. "I love you too, Vetra. More than you could ever know." she says and Vetra purrs under her breath.

Yet, despite Sara's words, Vetra can't help but to notice how much of a waste this would be if she left it here. The steak ruined. The candles being a one-time-use kind of thing. The flowers perishable.

Vetra turns her head to look at Sara's face; soft, honest, beautiful. Like all the other times she's looked at Sara, Vetra is overcome with this need to look and to touch her. And she remembers that she's done her research, not just on human dates and food and wine—but on sex, and pleasure.

She realizes she can give Sara that, and she realizes that she wants to—desperately.

"I think I know a way I can make it up to you." Her voice dips low as she lifts Sara up and holds her close.

"Oh?" Sara raises a brow, bitting her lip in anticipation. In another moment, Vetra's mouth is to hers and Sara's body is pressed against her bed. Vetra's hands make quick work of Sara's clothes but she takes a moment just to look at her; naked and in-love.

Vetra feels it too. She's in-love. They both are.

She doesn't want this to end.


	10. Her Slumber

Sara doesn't move much when she sleeps, almost perfectly still. Sara says it's because she's used to sharing beds, or sleeping in a smaller space—Vetra can relate. Yet, it doesn't explain why Sara is curled up against Vetra's side, hand thrown over Vetra's chest and smile on her face even in her deep sleep. Sara says it's because she's in-love and Vetra is just so comfortable—the turian relates to that too.

Vetra doesn't sleep as much as Sara, she doesn't really need it. Yet, she hasn't had the heart to confess that to Sara yet. She likes sitting on Sara's bed—their bed—absently running her talons through her hair. Sometimes she catches up on her reading while Sara sleeps, or drafts a few emails. Sometimes she just stares at her, wondering how she got to be so lucky. When Sara wakes up she always, without fail, presses a kiss to Vetra cheek and mumbles something unimportant. It's a ritual Vetra has come to love. Just laying there with Sara.

At any moment she can reach out and touch her, kiss her, tell her how much she loves her and at any moment she knows that every action, every feeling, is reciprocated.

From the first day they kissed, to the first time they lay naked in bed together, to this moment now. Countless days spent in space, looking for a home, fighting kett. All of it, everything, worth it.

It's a new feeling for Vetra but it's something she wholly enjoys. Those days, up early with Sara still curled against her, Vetra's mind wonders to their future. A home, a family, a place for Sid to bother them. It's new for her to even bother thinking that far ahead but she loves every second of indulging in that fantasy of a tomorrow with Sara because she knows—feels it resonate deep with her—that she'll get one, she'll do whatever she has to. It's all she wants.


	11. Her Promise

They celebrate; loud and honest. The fighting is not done, it may never be, but peace is not a dream anymore. Their mission is done. They are free. They are heroes and everyone celebrates. Vetra knows it is an end, but it feels like a beginning.

Peebee is drunk, swaying out of time with the music next to some woman Vetra has never seen before. Liam has his arm slung around Suvi, they chat animatedly about something while Jaal stares warmly at them, occassionally adding in his own remarks. Jaal takes his alcohol well, Vetra has never really seen him drunk before. Drack and Lexi are in a corner, talking calmly while people run up to them to speak praise. Drack seems like he's used to it, Lexi blushes everytime. Gil and Kallo are sitting together too, for what might be—Vetra muses—the first time that's ever happened. Near them, Cora speaks to a group of people who are watching her with intense focus. Scott hovers near her, his attention is on Cora too but the affection is clear in his gaze—drunk or not.

But Vetra doesn't care about any of that, not really anyway. Her eyes are scanning the club for Sara, who keeps getting whisked away by journalists or grateful residents. Every so often Vetra can see Sara happily bound up to her, only to be dragged somewhere else. Sid, who refuses to leave Vetra's side, laughes every time.

"She looks so guilty about it too!" Sid sips her drink slowly, cautious of her overprotective sister's gaze.

"You know how Sara is." Vetra chuckles, sometime ago she stopped calling her girlfriend by her last name. It didn't seem right anymore. Ryder was her leader, the figure she supported and followed. Sara was the woman she loved. Sara was a gentle purr in Vetra mouth, an indulgence she felt little guilt over. Her name she spoke with affection everytime, while Ryder always kept its edge on her tongue.

"You should just take her out of here." Sid suggested, looking toward her sister. "Just snatch her away."

"I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"The people need her," Vetra paused, "I can talk to her tomorrow, or the day after, or after that, or —"

"Or tonight," Sid interjected.

Vetra hummed, embarassed but pleased at the thought. "Yes, that."

"But you wanna talk to her now," Sid turned her attention forward again, surveying their party. "Sara wants to be alone with you now too."

Vetra shook her head, "you don't know that, Sid."

"I do." And with that, Sid slipped away as Sara approached; out of breath and smile wide. Sid nodded at her sister before taking off into the crowd of celebrators.

"Hey," Sara cooed, her voice dipping down into that husk that made Vetra shiver every time.

"Hey," the Turian shot back, letting her voice dip down the same way that made Sara melt into her every time. "Busy?"

Sara nodded, then shook her head, then sighed, then nodded again. "Can you just like kidnap me? Is it bad that I'd rather sleep for seven years than party right now?"

Vetra laughed, "kidnap the hero? What'd that make me?" She reached out to touch Sara's hand, cupping it in her own talons. The thought was tempting, of course. To just whisk Sara away. But Vetra wanted to think she knew better than that. What she's said to Sid wasn't a lie before. Though the thought was new to her, she knew she'd have Sara to herself tomorrow and the day after that and every day until the end of their times. Love so infinite yet so simple, the thought always made Vetra shy but looking into Sara's eyes now there was nothing but confident affection.

"I love you," Sara spoke quietly, pulling herself against Vetra and ignoring her previous comment entirely. "Do you remember what you were saying about the house to ourselves and the water and the sky above us and—" Sara paused, "do you want that? Still?"

"Always, Sara. There's nothing I want than to be with you."

"Me too."

Eventually, Vetra does take her away from the party. They find a quiet spot to lie down and look up at the sky. Sara says she wants a house with a big deck. Vetra says she wants an extra room for Sid to stay over. Sara asks if they can have a pet. Vetra asks about kids instead. Sara considers what it'd be like to have a big field to themselves. Vetra says she'd like anything, anything at all, as long as Sara is there. As long as it's theirs.

Sara promises her just that, until their times are over. Vetra says that sounds a whole lot like marriage to her. Sara says it is.

They kiss.


	12. Two of a Kind

Vetra could remember Sara saying that this would only take a couple of months. Oh, it'd taken  _years_. She felt like rubbing it in, saying that she was right and Sara was wrong--but even Vetra was too overcome with the situation to muster any real words. Instead, without words, she reached her hand down and linked her talons with Sara's soft fingers. She didn't need to say anything. Sara spoke for her.

"So," the human started, her voice the sweet sound of calmness to the turian's ears, "we got our house."

Without missing a beat, Vetra's mandibles flared. She glanced down to the ground and spoke in a small, shy voice, "our  _home_."

*** * * ***

On Vetra's birthday, Sara surprised her with a plot of land on Kadara--perfect for them. The pathfinder had spent months making sure it was the right space; making sure the water was safe to swim in, that the outlaws would leave them alone, that they could be sure that this would be  _thiers_. It was no small thing, and Vetra was more than grateful. Especially as she realized just how much work must have gone into it. She was sure that Sara must have been looking at this place since their first kiss on the very same planet. Moments like that, Vetra wonders how it's even possible to love a Sara even more than she already does. 

They didn't really plan on building a house, but they didn't plan on falling in love either. And just like with that, it simply felt like the right thing today and Vetra could see it no other way. Vetra wanted to do it all herself, involve as little people as possible but inevitably the crew of the Tempest pitched in to help--and of course, Vetra would have had it no other way.

Liam was oddly excited for it, almost more so than Vetra and Sara. Cora had her own ideas of what to add (a garden here, a landing pad there), as if she planned on living there too. Peebee just couldn't stop smiling about the whole thing. 

Days were spent huddled on the half-finished flooring, drinking together after a long day of building with a vid projected on to a half-built wall that all of them kept putting off. 

In the end, the house itself wasn't the biggest thing; the result of trying to do it all themselves probably. But it had that big deck that Sara wanted and the extra room for Sid that Vetra needed. They built a safe landing zone out back, got tech fitted so that friends could visit with ease and Vetra and Sara could come and go when they pleased. As per Cora's demands, a greenhouse was built. And with Gil's recommendation, they built a garage. Suvi suggested more rooms, just in case--and they had that made too. Jaal wanted a bar; they built a whole basement. Lexi demanded easy medical access--good connection to call for help and first-aid at the ready--Vetra and Sara agreed. Of course, it was Vetra and Sara's house but the support felt nice. It might have been theirs, but they never would have got there alone. How many years had they been together now? Vetra stopped keeping track a while ago, when she was confident in the promises Sara made that they'd stay together no matter what. Vetra believed it now too, that all of this would work and that they'd still this way for now until the end of their times.

A human and a turian? No big deal.

Drack had a surprise for them on the final day of building. He called them into their home now outfitted with high-security, and more just a call a way if they ever needed it. He said it was a gift from friends on the Nexus, but Vetra didn't need to push him to tell that he was at the forefront of the whole thing; that it was his idea in the first place.

Finally, Sid arrived, and when she was done screaming about the place she claimed her room and hugged Sara and Vetra until they were both sure their spines would snap. She asked a lot of questions, the kind that made Vetra turn away and Sara flush red. She asked about kids or when they planned on officially getting married--as if they needed some space law to dictate how in-love they were. Sara simply shrugged, Vetra swore she'd strangle her sister before the day was up, 

Yet, neither of them could stop smiling. 

*** * * ***

They stood there, hands linked together. It shouldn't have been any different to see the house now (furnished and decorated) than it was to see it half-built--but it was. Oh cosmos, how it was. It felt real now, so real and so overwhelming. This was theirs, this would always be theirs.

Vetra never came to know home as a place--always as people. As Sid, as Sara now, as the crew of the Tempest huddled together during movie night. But this? This was home.

There was a lot the turian wanted to say; how much she loved Sara, how happy she was to start this charter in their lives or how worried she was about Peebee's housewarming present that occasionally rattled in its box. Sara didn't seem like she had much to say either, she ran her hands along the walls before plopping down on to the sofa.

"Should we watch those vids that Scott sent us? He'd said we'd really like them."

Vetra had to blink a few times as she process Sara's words. She said them so casually, like they were back on the Tempest and nothing was different now--except everything was different. Sara looked over the top of the sofa and smiled at Vetra--or maybe it wasn't. Maybe this wasn't something to be afraid of. They were together, and nothing else mattered.

House or not, Vetra was happy. Sara was here, with her, and she was happy for it.

"Yeah," Vetra replied calmly, sitting beside Sara and automatically (like it were a reflex) wrapping her arm around the human's body, pulling her close. "That sounds like a good idea."

Sara leaned up, pressing a soft kiss to Vetra's face, she too was happy. 

Somehow, as if Vetra could read the future, she had a feeling that this feeling of happiness will never go away. And, of course, there's nothing else she'd rather want.

_"I love you."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end! Thank you to everyone who commented, stopped by to read and otherwise liked this story! :)


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